The Mirror Blue Night
by baileyquinn
Summary: Rachel gets the chance to go back in time and fix the mistakes she's made in the past. But will changing things make her life better...or worse?
1. Chapter 1

**A.N: ok, here's what happened. I'm BaileyRhapsody, someone hacked my account and it messed up and my fics are gone. I just want to apologize to all my readers who actually _like_ my stories and have to deal with this BS. My LJ is locked, I don't know if I'm going to unlock it so if you guys want me to, I'll re-upload all my fics on here. **

**So drop me a review, let me know if you want me to re-upload my fics, or tell me about how you're doing, anything, just let me know what's up.**

**I'm a writer. And I believe in the very depths of my heart, _all_ authors need feedback to strive towards more.**

**K, done with rant. Love you guys.**

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><p><em>R<em>_egret._

It was an almost inconceivable emotion, and yet, it was something that Rachel Berry managed to feel on a daily basis in one form or another. But this feeling, this amount of regret coursing through her veins and gnawing at her insides. It didn't even compare to all those other times.

With Finn's huge arms curled around her waist in a vice lock grip, the ugly emotion was never more accessible. She felt cold; disgusted with herself. Humiliated. Rachel thought she was ready, that Finn was perfect, her one and only.

It was only in the aftermath of throwing-yes throwing away her virginity, of giving it to someone who didn't even care enough about her to remember she was vegan that she could see clearly. As he penetrated her, violated her being with his sweat encased body, it was as if a shroud had been lifted from her eyes. She could finally see clearly now.

He was a mistake; in so many ways, the entirety of her relationship with Finn Hudson had been a mistake. She had settled, convinced, no, forced herself to believe that he was the one for her. That they were meant to be.

God, she had never been more wrong.

Tears stung the corners of her eyes as she attempted to untangle herself from his hard body. She felt claustrophobic, panicked. It felt like he was suffocating her, sucking her form into his until she disappeared and there would be nothing left.

And to be honest, that's how she felt all along.

Finn Hudson had slowly been killing Rachel Berry. His words were like a knife to her insides, hacking away at every cell that held her individuality until all that remained was emptiness. A Rachel Berry-doll. A Puppet. Something he could control and 'tame.' He cut out her tongue only to feed it to her. She devoured herself from the inside out-

Oh, God, she had to get out of here. She had to-she had to leave right now.

Finally, she tore herself from his body, landing on the ground with a hard thud. Her arms would surely be bruised in the morning.

Whimpering quietly, she held her breath when she heard a sharp intake of breath; silence, then a snort and a clamoring on the bed.

Funny that in sleep he resembled his waking form. Her absence, whether emotionally or psychically did not register in his psyche.

She let out a low, bitter laugh before standing on shaky legs and gathering her stuff. She dressed in a quiet manner but her movements were brimming with urgency.

A sob tore out of her throat when she was finally finished. She covered her face with her hands as she forced herself to be quiet. Her insides ached; it stung, down there. She never hated herself more.

Shutters racked through her body as she stumbled out of the room. The door slammed and yet, still, there was silence.

She couldn't get out of the horror house fast enough.

She walked until she couldn't walk anymore, until she ended up at a, shady run down run down diner. Open 24/7, welcoming the scourges of Lima, Ohio into its heart. Ironically, Rachel thought she'd fit right in. She was a scourge in so many ways now, after all. Her eyes stung once more at these words. How she would give up anything, do anything to be able to take back what's transpired within her. She would give everything up to stop herself from becoming this empty being that she was now.

Rachel ordered coffee; she contemplated asking for milk-after all, what did it matter if she consumed dairy products? She had already eaten meat-before catching herself at the last minute. Yes, she was broken inside but that didn't mean she should allow herself to accept that fact. Now that she could see clearly, she had no intention of allowing herself to be a puppet any longer.

"Good."

The brunette's head snapped up at those words, brown orbs widening as they settled on the person next to her. His lips twisted in a smile as he leaned against the counter next to her. He was dressed in a black suit with a red shirt that contrasted nicely with the darkness. His eyes were hollow pools of gold and raven hair swept against his face neatly. She supposed he could be considered quite handsome.

He chuckled lowly as his eyes flickered to black before turning gold once more. Except, that couldn't be real. It wasn't possible for eyes to change at such a drastic rate, right? A trick of light perhaps?

His smile only widened as he gestured the hovering waitress away all the while keeping intense eyes locked on hers, "What brings you here, Little One?"

Sweat trickled down her forehead at the question. Her mouth opened but no sound exited her mouth. She closed it gently before glancing down at her coffee.

"How can that possibly be any of your business?"

A smirk replaced the mans blooming smile; he guffawed almost violently, "Yes, yes! The right response to the perfect question," he leaned in impossibly closer. Unease welled up in her heart as his eyes darkened to bronze, "Tell me, little one, what is it that you seek? Perhaps a remedy for your sorrows?"

Rachel scoffed at his condescending words as she took a sip from her scalding coffee. She barely felt the burn on her tongue. Palming her forehead, she shook her head as her eyelids slipped close. What would be the harm in answering him? It's not like her life could get any worse than it was. She had hit rock bottom a long time ago.

"Now, now, child, no need for dramatics. What is done can always be undone. Time is a fickle lord."

The brunette frowned contemptuously; her features became pensive as confusion entered her eyes, "How are you doing that? It's like you're reading my thoughts."

The man in black smiled once more before leaning even closer. He was almost at her ear now. His voice lowered conspiracally, "That's because I am."

Rachel jerked back the words, her body tensing as she subtly edged away from the now laughing man. She froze when he placed a hand on the small of her back.

There was a silence between them now. Her emotions wavered; she wasn't sure if she wanted to flee or stay rooted in the mans aura. It was almost comforting how disconcerting it was.

"Who-" her eyes shut gently as she begin to expel pained breaths, "W-who are you?" she asked chokingly.

Agony erupted suddenly in her body but she could not scream. Her vision wavered, head lulling as blood pumped into her skull. Nausea rolled through her as she broke out into a cold sweat.

He placed his lips to her ear; "Oh, dear, dear child, what a mess your life has turned out to be. You're lucky you've always been one of His favorites."

Rachel slipped away as her head slowly hit the edge of the counter. She painfully turned it to gaze up at him weakly, "Wh-what's happening to me?"

The man in black only smirked before leaning down until they were eyelevel. Rachel gasped breathlessly as she peered into pitch black eyes. Her throat constricted as black dots appeared.

She was going to pass out.

He swept back her hair with a gloved finger. Red. She hadn't noticed he was wearing gloves until now. The room began to flitter as it slowly unraveled before her spotty vision.

Finally, he answered her; "Why, Rachel. I'm only giving you what you begged for. A chance to do it all again. We're giving you the opportunity to make the right decisions by sending you back to a moment where everything mattered. Where there were two roads you could have chosen but you decided rashly and foolishly chose wrong. You can change it all."

Her eyelids flickered as he whispered the dark words in her ear. A soft kiss on her lobe was the last thing she felt as he breathed, "This is your chance to get it right. Don't disappoint Him, dear Rachel."

With one last kiss, she fainted.

xxx

It felt like she was moving, flying perhaps, even floating but that couldn't be possible because she had just passed out. It was almost like falling into a vicious slumber only to continually be roused awake by a sharp stabbing.

Her soul felt like it had been ripped away from her body. She was darting backwards full speed towards something. But what?

xxx

Rachel's eyes fluttered open in confusion only to slam shut in shocked pain. She grabbed at her head as agony pumped into her blood. The light; it was too bright, too consuming. The brunette felt sick.

Inhaling roughly, she allowed herself a few moments of rest before tentatively opening her eyes once more. Another jolt of confusion danced beneath her skin as she slowly looked around her surrounding area before glancing down at herself.

She frowned as she took in her outfit. A black sweater, a black and white skirt and black tights. It was such a Rachel Berry outfit. Totally her. But she didn't remember putting that on this-

Panic hit her square in the chest just then. Her memories of the day came crashing back to her. Rachel didn't understand what was happening until words drifted into her head.

You can change it all.

But, God, what did that mean.

Mr. Schue entered the room as if he was an answer to her unsent prayers. He was carrying a set of folders and something pricked at her heart. This scene seemed so familiar.

"Two things guys; First, our competition at sectionals are our classic stool choirs. Great voices, but they don't move. Now, if we're gonna beat them, we need to do what they can't: dance. Which is why I decided to feature Brittany and Mike Chang's sweet moves in our performance."

Rachel's heart instantly stilled at those words. She knew how she was supposed to respond then but she stayed frozen in her seat. Her breathing came in short as her head throbbed. This scene wasn't just familiar. It was the exact moment where everything came crashing down for Rachel.

She stayed silent as Mr. Schue continued speaking, "I was thinking that the winners of our duets competitions would take the leads."

Blinking rapidly, she inadvertently raised her palm to her forehead as sweat trickled down her cheek. What the hell was happening? She couldn't be-there's just no way-

"Look, I'm all for pumping up the team…"

Right, this was when Finn entered his two cents. Her stomach tightened as nausea twisted her gut. Oh, God. How was this even possible?

What happened at the diner…was the last year and a half just a dream or something? There is absolutely no way that-

"You are such a hypocrite, Finnessa. "

Nope; this was definitely happening.

Finn glanced at her as if he was expecting her to speak up for him. She kept frighteningly silent and bowed her head. The brunette was well aware of what words were about to tumble from the Latina's mouth.

The spiky haired boy scowled in her direction before glaring back at the cheerio with a constipated expression, "Like you even know what that means."

Santana rolled her eyes in exasperation as she crossed her arms, "Oh, and you _do_? You are so full of crap, Giant."

Finn hastily stood at those words as he pointed a finger at her in anger, "You know what, I am sick of you getting on my case, Santana. When are you going to get that you're not worth it."

The Latina's eyes narrowed as she tilted her head menacingly, "Oh, really?"

A beat. Rachel's eyes slid close as she exhaled shakily before glancing up towards her supposed boyfriend. She saw how the pasty faced boy paled even further when he realized his mistake, "San-"

"'Cause that's not what you thought last year in that motel room," Santana turned her amused sneer onto Rachel, "You hear that, Yentl. Your sweetheart, he's been _lying_to you. Cause he and I totally got it on last year."

"Okay, enough already!"

Rachel tuned out the rest of his words because she already knew what he was gong to say and how this was going to end. Santana would be getting her solo and Quinn and Sam would be singing a duet. There was nothing she could do to change it then and she was unable to change that now.

Surprisingly, she found that she didn't really mind that she once again had to relive the humiliation of sectionals. She had much bigger things to worry about, oh, like say, figuring out how in the hell this had happened.

It was like the man in black had said. Rachel had traveled back in time to an important moment in her life. The moment where Finn once again let her down, acted immature and then broken up with her for doing the exact same thing he had done last year. She almost laughed.

Rachel could change it all especially considering she didn't even want to be with Finn anymore; she could rightfully break up with him and be done with it. She did laugh this time, hysterically almost. The brunette held her gut as she doubled over in her chair and laughed.

She could feel everyone's eyes on her but it was Quinn's voice that broke her out of her inane laughter, "What in the world are you so happy about, Berry?"

The young ingénue snorted indelicately as she wiped tirelessly at her eyes because she could finally say, with certainty, that she felt something again. She was still a virgin, and she wasn't tethered to Finn anymore. Rachel was free to do what she wanted without worrying about Finn Hudson's goddamn feelings.

No more moping or crying over him. No more feeling useless because he let her down or told her she wasn't enough.

Rachel ignored her question by laughing again as she grabbed her bag before standing and walking towards the exit, ignoring the calls of her soon to be ex-boyfriend and their music instructor.

Her wish had come true, and man, she thought she had a lot to be happy about.


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: ok, I know this is a short chapter but I'm finding it really hard to write right now. I've kind of been in a funk since my account was hacked and it's really affecting my writing. I'm slowly getting over it so I would appreciate it if I didn't get any reviews complaining about how long it's taking me to update. I'm working on it guys, and I swear, I'll stop disappointing you all soon. **_

_**Sort of a filler chapter. slight spoilers for special education. I own nothing as you know.**_

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><p><em>One day after Rachel went back in time<em>

"Rachel, why are you avoiding me? Did-did I do something?"

Rachel's eyebrows furrowed as she put in her locker combination. Holding back an obscure smile, the brunette ran a finger along the cool metal before pulling it open. She reached inside, fingering the seams of her history book before glancing up at her soon to be ex boyfriend.

"You lied to me about sleeping with Santana for six months and you're asking me if you did something _wrong? _Really, you can't be serious Finn."

The tall boy eyes scrunched up as he clenched his fist and exhaled deeply from his nose. He glared at her with a slightly constipated look, "Why are you always making a big deal out of things-

"Because it _is_ a big deal, Finn."

Finn unclenched his hands and crossed his arms, leaning against the set of lockers next to the shorter as he stared at her with an unreadable expression. Something passed through his eyes before he smiled at her boyishly, "Look, I get that you're a little insecure about Santana because she's hotter than you and has bigger boobs than you and stuff. But I _love_ you."

The brunette's eyes widened incredulously as she fully faced him. She slammed the locker door shut before mirroring his pose. Her lips twisted up into a small smirk, "Are you sure it's me you want to be with Finn? After all, you're constantly insinuating that I'm not nearly as attractive as Santana Lopez is. Perhaps someone of your…_caliber_ should focus on pursuing a relationship that matches your elitist standards."

"Huh?"

Rachel took a step closer to the confused looking boy, a small smile playing on her lips as she stared up at him, "I'm dumping you."

Finn nearly jolted backwards at the intensity of her words. His light brown eyes darkened considerably as he towered over her, "You can't dump me! You're not allowed to dump me, Rachel!"

Shaking her head at his ridiculousness, the brunette sighed before stepping backwards, "It's over, Finn."

She jumped when he un-expectantly slammed the side of his fist into the locker, a sliver of fear passing through her as she coiled in on herself at his expression. He glared down at her murderously, "You-

"Yo man, I don't like the way you're looking at my Jew-babe. You need to back off." Puck materialized out of thin air, placing a threatening hand on Finn's chest and angling the small girl away from the heaving jock.

Finn pushed Puck's hand off of him and attempted to take another step towards Rachel, only to find himself held back by Sam, "Dude, calm down and step off Rachel ok?"

The quarterback scoffed as he glanced between the two boys, shaking his head in disbelief before glaring harshly at his 'best friend,' completely ignoring the blonde at his side, "Stay out of this Puck, this has nothing to do with you."

Puck stuffed his hands in his grey hoodie pocket and stared at the spiky haired boy with a steely look in his eye, "It is my business when you look like you're about to put your hands on my girl-

"She's _not _your girl, Puck! She's _mine_."

The mohawked boy narrowed his eyes before mashing his lips together, "Not anymore, man. Now get out of here."

Light brown eyes squinted in concentration before narrowing in on the lightly shivering girl behind his best friend. Finn gritted his teeth before clenching his fist once more, "Fine, whatever. This isn't over, Rachel," he grumbled before slamming his fist against the locker and pushing past Sam.

Rachel watched him go with an unreadable expression, her body still quivering as Puck turned to face her.

He gazed down at her sympathetically, glancing over at Sam and nodding at the blonde boy, who took that as his cue to leave. Sam patted Rachel on the back before walking past them to his waiting girlfriend at the end of the hallway.

Puck frowned as he placed a comforting hand on the brunette's shoulder, "You ok, babe?"

The brunette nibbled on her bottom lip before peering up at him from under her eyelashes, "I…yes, I am. Thank you for your help, Noah."

Smirking flirtatiously to hide his concern, Puck held out his arm towards the smaller girl before smiling cheekily, "I have just the thing to make you feel better, princess. Wanna skip?"

Rachel smiled softly, knowing full well where this path would lead her and refusing to go down it again, before reaching out a hand towards the boy and squeezing his bicep gently, "I'm not making out with you, Noah."

Puck only shook his head and grinned wider, "Trust me, babe. What I'm offering is much better than a make out session. And I'm not just being dirty here."

Face morphing in curiosity, the brown eyed girl tentatively took his arm before nodding and leaning her head on his strong shoulder.

She beamed as she chanced a glance up at him, paying him a quick compliment to further thank him for his help; "Your arms are still as lovely as ever, Noah."

Puck grinned a little before leaning towards her conspiratorially, "It's the steroids."

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><p>Quinn stared at her ex-boyfriend and her ex-enemy with a frown, her eyes flickering to her lumbering boyfriend as he ambled over to her. She tensed when the taller blonde wrapped his arms around her waist.<p>

"Hey sweethea-

"Why were you with Berry and Puckerman?"

Sam's smile dimmed a bit in its intensity as he gazed down at his girlfriend in puzzlement, "Oh, Finn was acting like a jackass, no real surprise there, and Puck was worried he would hurt Rachel-

"Since when do you care what happens to Berry?"

The blonde boy held in a sigh as he loosened his hold on the head cheerleader an inch, "Babe, I know you don't like her, but what kind of man would I be if I let another guy beat on a girl? Would you really want to be with someone like that?"

Quinn's lips puckered as anxiety passed through her eyes only to disappear a moment later. She crossed her arms even as she pressed into him. Hazel eyes sparkled in concern, "Was he…was he really going to hit her?" she questioned in a whisper. That didn't sound like Finn at all. Sure, for the most part he was an idiot and he could be an inconsiderate asshole. But he never got physically violent with Quinn when she was dating him.

He couldn't have changed that much…right?

Sam released a sigh as he pressed his forehead against hers, "Yeah, he looked five seconds from taking a swing at her. I don't trust him, Q."

The shorter blonde barely heard his words, her heart twitching in her chest as she gazed off towards the side. She frowned in deeply as she bit her bottom lip before turning her head back towards him, "I'm proud of you, Sam…walk me to class?"

Grinning widely, the jock squeezed his girl once more before taking her hand and interlacing her fingers.

Quinn smiled back at him compassionately before looking down as he turned around and began tugging her towards her third period.

The hazel eyed girl's nibbled on her bottom lip as her mind raced. She _was_ proud of her boyfriend for doing the right thing. Quinn just wished she could feel something more than mild affection for the taller blonde.

Sam was a sweetheart, totally and completely devoted to her; a loving dork with a goofy side. Sure, he was about as obsessed with popularity as she was but he was nice to her. He treated her well and didn't pressure her.

So why wasn't she able to love him like he surely loved her?

Sighing to herself, the blonde pushed these thoughts away before becoming consumed with 'Finchel.' Even though she didn't really like the short brunette-_she kind of liked her-_she wasn't going to sit back and let her deal with her potentially abusive boyfriend alone.

Like Sam said, what kind of person would sit back and ignore a guy beating on his girlfriend?

Her stomach roiled in disgust at that thought; she wouldn't let Finn hurt Rachel, would never allow a man to physically abuse a woman and do nothing to stop it.

She would never be like her mother.

Quinn swallowed thickly before exhaling shakily and closing her eyes.

No matter what, she would help Rachel.

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><p>"She seems to be doing well."<p>

"Yes, I'm very glad she broke up with that _thing. _Finn Hudson absolutely disgusts me."

A guffaw echoed in the hollow emptiness.

"That's funny coming from you, Iblis."

"You know as well as I do how _special_ Rachel is,-" The man in black-_Iblis-_ paused, licking his lips as he mentally stumbled over the other being's name before clearing his throat and continuing in a hoarse whisper, "In the future, being with the jolly green giant is what _ruined_ her. And we need her to stay strong for the upcoming future."

'He' chuckled in amusement before shaking his head and staring at his protégé, "Right you are, Iblis. Right you are. But we both know that her issues with Finn Hudson are far from over."

Iblis nodded, his eyes dull as he smiled roguishly, "Perhaps I should intervene on her behalf?"

"We're only supposed to watch, Iblis. You are only allowed to intervene if her life is endangered. But I doubt we'll have anything to worry about. After all, there is also something else watching over her."

"Do you mean the-"

"Yes."

Gold eyes flashed in recognition, "_Interesting._ She also has those beings looking after her? How…endearing."

They turned their gazes back towards the young star, watching the girl with dual expressions of fascination.

xxx

A shiver went through Rachel as she exited Puck's car, glancing up into the sky with a frown as unease welled up inside her heart.

She narrowed her eyes before shaking her head and looking away, pushing Puck's door shut before following the mohawked boy into his home.

'Must have been the wind.'

_xxx_

…_there's nowhere to hide from these bones from her mind _

_It's broken inside; She's a girl and a child_

_She's at home with a ghost who got left in the cold_

_Who knocks at her peace with no keys to her soul... _

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><p><em><strong>An: lyrics and title taken from Duncan Shiek's, "The Mirror-Blue Night" from the roc musical, Spring Awakening. Re-worked the lyrics a bit to fit the story. **_


	3. Chapter 3

**_A/N: strong puckleberry friendship and I want Q/R to become friends before they realize their feelings...unbeta'd since my all my beta's are either at work or at school_**

**_Some dialogue taken from Special Education._**

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><p>"Well, I have to agree, Noah. This is certainly more interesting than making out."<p>

Puck made a noise of agreement, eyes squinting as he stared at his television screen and roughly pounded down on the controller buttons. He huffed and exhaled harshly before throwing the controller down and growling when the screen lit up and FATALITY flashed in bold, red letters.

"Goddamn you to hell Scorpion!"

Rachel smiled sympathetically as she pated his arm with her free hand, a coy smirk playing on her lips, "I guess I forgot to mention that I dominate at Mortal Kombat and Scorpion is my main character."

The mohawked boy grunted as he glared at the screen, lying down from his sitting position and leaning his head on his outstretched palm. His eyes flickered up towards the smirking diva, "Why didn't you ever tell me you were a video gaming boss? If I had known, we could have been doing this months ago."

The brunette's smirk dimmed until a small smile was left in its wake; she set her controller on her knee as her shoulders drooped and her eyes dulled, "I was going to tell you but whenever I mentioned it to Finn, he would get irrationally upset and spend the rest of the day sulking. Then I would have to console him and explain to him that I didn't want you and-well, you know how Finn is."

Puck rolled his eyes as he shook his head, "Yeah, a giant baby," he mumbled under his breath before laying his head in Rachel's lap.

He stared up at her with a light smile before fluttering his eyes shut; "So…I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm sort of into school this year."

Rachel's eyebrows shot up as her eyes widened in surprise, "_Really? _That's quite un-expectant, Noah. Can I inquire as to why?"

Snorting, the mohawked boy reopened his eyes as he smirked up at her, "Well, _duh,_ have you _seen _how much hotter the girls have gotten this year? Total babes."

Smiling in amusement, Rachel hummed in agreement as she ran her fingers along his Mohawk before leaning back against his bed. A calming silence passed through the air, peace washing over them like a pervasive smell; soothing, _reassuring._

Brown orbs flickered shut as the brunette relaxed, the stillness calming her racing heart until a dull, steady beat took its place.

"Noah," she began, her voice just under a whisper as she gazed down at her ex with narrowed eyes, "If you could go back in time, what would you change?"

At first she thought he didn't hear her; Puck's features were unresponsive as he stared up at her blankly. His eyes scrunched up as he turned away, moving his head halfway out of her lap before tightening his fist and hunching his shoulders.

She was just about to drop the subject and move on when he answered her, "I would…I would make Quinn's first time special," he started, his voice cracking halfway through the middle. Rachel could tell he was holding back tears, "I-I would make it special and not just some drunken hookup. I…I love B-beth. I love her so much, Rachel. I never knew I could love someone as much as I love her. But I would have used protection instead of feeding Quinn pretty words and half-truths. I would have made it special…" A soft sniffle resounded in the air as he trailed off before falling silent.

Rachel bit her bottom lip as her eyes sparkled with compassion. Though she loved Noah, she couldn't help but relate to Quinn a bit more in this situation. From what she gathered, the boy had gotten the ex-now reinstated head cheerleader drunk and then irresponsibly partook in sexual intercourse with the quasi-conscious Quinn.

She felt a sort of kinship with the blonde due to their slightly similar situations; they had both lost their virginities to people who could care less about them. At least Noah understood his faults and attempted to make up for them…for the most part.

Glancing up at the ceiling as Puck softly cried on her leg, she couldn't help but wonder if Quinn was afforded the same chance as her, would she take it all back to regain what she once had? Would choose to focus more on the Cheerios and disregard the Glee club once she knew the ramifications of her actions?

Rachel bit her bottom lip as she closed her eyes.

Would she and Quinn have ever looked past their differences and began their tentative, fragile and yet strong friendship? Would the other girl have ignored their bond that was deeper than any high school romance in favor of staying on top?

And as sad as it made her, could Rachel really blame the other girl for staying away? Glee has held a dual combination of the best and worst experiences of her life. At one point in her life, she would have sworn up and down that glee was her family and that she finally had people that cared about her.

But if she really thought about it, did she?

In the future, Mercedes was so quick to dismiss her and their friendship; not only that, Santana and even Brittany were still unnecessarily cruel to her. Finn treated her like, excuse her language, shit. Puck was too busy chasing tale to notice her. And Quinn…Quinn was too broken, to distorted to have the time or energy to take an interest in Rachel Berry.

So what did she have? Sure, she semi had Kurt's friendship, but only when she was giving him what he wanted. She and Blaine had never particularly been close, especially since the spin the bottle incident.

Rachel held in a sigh as her shoulders sagged and her eyes drooped. She may have ended things with Finn but that didn't change the fact that everyone hated her.

Nibbling on her bottom lip, the brunette's heart ached as one clear thought developed in her mind.

'And one year from now…everyone will still hate me.'

* * *

><p>Rachel walked into the glee room late with her arms out in front of her, her textbooks clutched in her palms and a distant look in her eye. She briefly glanced up to see if Puck was there already before remembering that he was probably convincing Lauren Zizes to join right at this moment.<p>

Sighing to herself, she avoided her ex's gaze and settled in on a seat off to the side, ignoring everyone's questioning looks towards her and focused on Mr. Schue.

A flicker of unease settled in her heart and she briefly wondered, would Mr. Schuester still yell at her even though she wasn't acting as overdramatic this time around? She had a feeling he would.

Clearing her throat, the brunette settled back into her seat and let her bangs fall across her eyes, exhaling deeply through her mouth. It must have been loud because before she realized what was happening, Mr. Schue was slamming his folders down and spinning around to face her.

"ENOUGH! I am sick and tired of this Rachel-

"What, Mr. Schuester, I didn't even-

"You have a terrible attitude, you're a lousy sport and it's not okay anymore."

She recoiled back; it stung much more the second time around. But then, something amazing happened. A flare of anger sparked up in her heart and she stood, her chair clamering to the ground with a clang, "And _I'm _sick of _your _attitude, Mr. Schuester. I didn't do anything, I didn't make any complaints when I found out Santana would have my solo and Quinn and Sam would be singing a duet together for sectionals. I didn't say _anything._ I get that you're angry about Ms. Pillsbury and I'm _sorry_ but you are a teacher and you are _not_ allowed to take out your anger on your students."

Everyone gasped in surprise. Even Santana, who always had a quick retort ready to sprout stayed silent as Mr. Schuester visible deflated right in front of them, "Rachel, I-

"You know, I am making the choice to be happy," she interrupted quietly her fist clenching as her eyes flickering to Finn briefly before returning to their instructor, "And you know why, Mr. Schue? Because I'm a part of a glee club that's just _bursting _at the seams with talent."

She stepped down off the risers, moving to stand next to Will and turn to address all of them, "Each and every one of you is wonderful. And I'm, _I'm _so proud to be apart of this group, even if you all do hate me. Santana," The Latina's head rose, pausing in filing her nails to glare down at the brunette. Rachel smiled gently as she took a step towards the seething girl, "Santana, the raspy quality of your voice is alluring, dare I say it, even _sexy_. You are going to _kill_ the judges with your solo and I for one am excited to hear it."

The shock on everyone's face, but the Latina's especially almost made Rachel giggle but she resisted, turning her attention to the two blondes in front of her. Her eyes softened considerably; she was very thankful towards Sam. Though she was sure Puck would have been able to take all on his own , it was nice knowing that other people semi-cared about her well being. And then there was Quinn…

"Your duet will be _amazing._ Both of your voices will mesh together to create a wonderful blend of sweet yet soulful music and I cannot wait to listen to the final product," this time Rachel did giggle, her eyes flickering over to the blonde head cheerio. A gentle smile played out on her features; "Quinn, your voice…it's like listening to angel's sing," Hazel orbs eyes widened in puzzlement at this. Rachel bit her lip when she saw the tips of the blonde's ears turn red from embarrassment. She raised her hand to her heart as she stared into Quinn's eyes, "It's soft, delicate…_sweet._ I know you feel a bit uneasy at the prospect of singing _because_ your voice is so delicate but don't, okay? Don't. Because you are going to be amazing and we're all here to support you and Sam."

_We'll always be here to support you, Quinn, _she thought to herself, her smile falling a bit as she remembered the pain she saw in the blonde's eyes in the year to come. She just hoped she would be able to do something to change it. The pain in those beautiful hazel orbs was almost enough to make her break down and start crying. She could only imagine how it felt for Quinn.

Nibbling on her lower lip, she held the blonde's eye until Quinn ducked her head and looked away, a small twinge flickering through her heart as she glanced away and back towards her teammates.

"We are going to _win_ sectionals guys, because all of us, together? We're something special. And even if we don't win, we're still going to be 'good sports.' We'll cheer on the Hipsters and we'll support Kurt and the Warbles. And if they win, we'll congratulate them because that's who we want to be, ok?"

She smiled when some of her teammates grumbled in agreement and others grinned at her in encouragement. Rachel looked up at Mr. Schue briefly before taking a seat and crossing her legs, staring off towards the side with her arms crossed. Will looked as if he wanted to apologize but didn't get the chance as Puck and Lauren walked in before he could say anything.

"Dude, where have you _been_?"

Lauren answered for him; "I found him in a Porta-Potty."

Rachel sighed once more as her shoulders hunched and she tuned out the conversation, a frown marring her delicate features as she allowed herself to think about the thing she had been avoiding since she was sent back.

Who was the man in black and was he a friend or a foe? She nibbled on her bottom lip as her eyes became hazy.

Why was she given the chance to go back in time and fix her mistakes? What made her so special?

Brown orbs shuttled shut as she released a despondent breath.

And more importantly, what price did she have to pay for this chance?

* * *

><p>The auditorium had always been her solace. Her one place of comfort. Perhaps the only place where she felt she could truly be herself without the backlash of her peers. The piano was her muse; many a time she sat in this same exact spot, playing the same three notes over and over again as her mind wandered and lyrics sprung up into her head. Sometimes she would make up her own chords, humming along to whatever tune came to mind and simply basking in the stage lights above her. Other times she would play; play long notes of recognizable music from her favorite all time musicals and bands.<p>

But this was a time for thinking; and waiting. She knew Kurt would come for her for advice and though their relationship had become quite strained in the future, Kurt was a very dear friend to her and he would forever be etched into her heart.

A soft smile played on her lips as she stared down at the cool ivory pieces. Sometimes she felt as if she were a piano. Everyone could drop a steady beat on her heart but few truly knew how to play her. Few knew how she carefully and modestly ticked. Outside her fathers, only two had cared to learn and both were gone for her. At least, for a little while.

"Hey, Rachel. I've been looking for you."

Rachel glanced up in surprise, though she wasn't sure why. Like stated before, she knew Kurt was coming. An idle thought trickled through her brain. Perhaps her soul were the only things to come back from the future. Maybe her body was still set in the present and therefore reacted to situations as if they were brand new.

But that sounded ridiculous, time travel notwithstanding.

She smiled politely, "Hey, Kurt. Not that I'm not happy to see you but what are you doing here?" her eyebrows scrunched together as confusion passed through her eyes, "How did you even get in?" she questioned softly, the thought just occurring to her. It was during school hours and Kurt was still in his uniform, meaning he must have skipped class and somehow got into the school.

There was no way that he could have just walked into McKinley without someone noticing…right?

Kurt ducked his head and grinned bashfully, "Oh, well. Mercedes snuck me in. I was sitting in my car for over an hour waiting for Karofsky to make a Mickey D's run…anyways, what are you doing?"

Rachel hummed lightly, a pang of sympathy for the boy flowing through her as she splayed out her fingers across the ivory pieces. She forgot about the Karofsky debacle; "Just playing a little. You say you've been looking for me? What can I do for you, Kurt?"

The coiffed boy took a step around the piano, drumming his fingers along the planes and smiling sardonically, "Actually, I was hoping you could help me. I've been invited to audition for a solo and even though we hate each other, we've had our moments and I could use your expertise."

Inwardly curling in on herself at Kurt's admittance of hate, Rachel's eyes flickered downwards as her shoulders hunched and her lips twisted up into a small smile, "Contrary to popular belief Kurt, I don't hate you. Even though you'll probably never regard me as such, I do think of you as a friend. Therefore, I'll be happy to help you out."

Blue-gray eyes widened in surprise at the softly spoken words. He certainly didn't expect to hear _that_ from Rachel Berry. Clearing his throat, Kurt fiddled with his tie as he glanced down before running his hand down his uniform, "No one knows how to kill a ballad quite like you, Rachel. You are exceedingly brilliant and talented, not to mention exceptionally wonderful to watch perform. I'm hoping you could give me some pointers."

Something clicked in Rachel's mind when a memory of how this conversation went before was thrusted to the front of her consciousness.

_You are as brilliant and talented as you are irritating. _

Her smile grew in size when she realized that her past was changing already.

Rachel's eyes softened as she flattened out her skirt before sliding out off of the piano bench and standing and facing Kurt; "Thank you. So, what did you have in mind? And please don't tell me it's something like Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On. "

The brunette held back a smirk when she saw her soon to be best friend pale a bit before shuffling uncomfortably in front of her, "Uh, and what would be wrong with that?"

"Nothing, Kurt. It's just…don't you think your first audition for a solo should be more _personal _than that. I mean this is your chance to really wow your fellow Warblers. Celine Dion is wonderful but I would choose something that's a bit more you."

Kurt frowned as he leaned against the piano, his eyebrow raised in interest, "Oh? Like what?"

Rachel could only smile.

* * *

><p>Rachel stared out the window on the long bus ride despondently. She had ignored Finn's blatant attempts to gain her attention and chosen to sit way in the front, near Mr. Schuester but still far away enough so she didn't have to deal with his apologetic face either. Puck was sitting in the back near Lauren, perhaps trying to coax the brown haired girl into sleeping with him, she really didn't know and to be honest, she didn't really care. As long as he was semi-happy with his choices, he could do whatever he wanted. She knew no one else would sit by her, even after her heartfelt and true speech she gave to the club and to be honest, she kind of liked it that way.<p>

What was the point in getting her hopes up when she _knew_ that everyone was still going to hate her no matter what she did. Perhaps indifference was the way to go? Now that she didn't have Finn to deal with, she had a lot more free time which would most likely be spent in solitude.

Finally, boredom got the best of her and as she was letting out a shaky breath, she reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out her IPOD and headphones, growing irrationally excited at the prospect of watching one of the three illegal downloads of _Spring Awakening_ for the remainder of the bus ride.

Her plans were deterred, however, when someone settled into the seat next to her. Holding in expletives, the brunette steeled herself for another confrontation with Finn only to be pleasantly surprised when she peered up into amused hazel eyes.

"Oh! Quinn…?" she mumbled, her eyes narrowing in concentration as she took in the sudden appearance of the blonde head cheerleader. This never happened; the first time around, everyone avoided her and Quinn had sat next to Sam and…well, she was basically left alone.

"Don't sound too excited now, Berry," Quinn started with a roll of her eyes, "Sam is too busy talking about video games with Mike and well, I didn't want to listen to that and the only seat open was next to Finn so I just chose the lesser of two evils."

Rachel gazed at her sympathetically, a small smile working its way up her lips as she patted the blondes arm; "Understandable. Are you still nervous about the competition?"

Quinn glanced down at the hand on her arm, raising one perfect eyebrow questionably before sighing and relaxing against the seat; "Yeah, I mean, I guess a little…." The blonde trailed off, sighing and crossing her arms and legs as a small frown adorned her features.

The brunette hummed softly as she glanced down at her IPOD and fingered the chord of her headphones. Nibbling on her bottom lip, Rachel angled her body so that she was facing the blonde more and held out one of her ear buds.

"As I said before, you have nothing to worry about, Quinn. You're wonderful," she breathed, beaming when hazel eyes flickered over to her face and lingered there for several seconds before glancing away. The brunette giggled lightly as she placed one of the buds into the blushing girl's ear, "You should watch this with me. I'm quite sure it will take your mind off of everything, it's such a wonderful love story."

Biting her bottom lip to fight back her normal defense mechanism, Quinn swallowed and leaned in a bit closer to the brunette, smiling bashfully when the little songbird held up her IPOD so she could see.

Rachel gazed at the blonde happily, a gentle smile playing across her lips before she looked back down towards the device in her hand.

She hit play.

* * *

><p>They tied, not that that was any real surprise. After all, Rachel already knew the outcome long before they even went on stage. She stayed after a bit to congratulate Kurt before calling her dads and asking one of them to pick her up.<p>

The thought of being around any of her teammates hurt her head Even though she had been nothing but cordial to the Latina, Santana still skulked past her with a sneer, outright telling her that they didn't need her and that they could win without her so she might as well do them all a favor and leave.

It hurt. It really did; she couldn't understand why the other brunette was full of such contempt towards her. But once she stopped to think about it she couldn't help but feel sympathy towards the other girl. Santana was just a scared, lonely teenager, much like her, though their situations couldn't be too different.

She knew that Santana was struggling with her feelings towards Brittany and Artie's relationship; knew how hard it must be for the Latina to watch them be together and deny who she really was because of fear. Her fear of her friends and family's reactions towards the fact that she was a lesbian.

It was heartbreaking and that's why Rachel would forgive Santana, no matter what the other brunette said to her. She was just hurting, and Rachel Berry understood hurt.

When she got home, she kissed both fathers on the cheek and changed into her comfy pajamas before settling on the floor in front of her couch with a stack of movies and a batch of vegan friendly peanut butter cookies.

Rachel was just about to turn her phone off in fear that she'd receive a flurry of annoying texts from her ex when it buzzed and an unknown number appeared. She frowned as she opened and read the message.

_**4198123543:**_

_**Hey.**_

Her brows furrowed further at the simplicity of the statement, weighing the pro's and con's of answering this unknown number before sighing and typing out a reply.

_**Rachel:**_

_**Hello, I'm sorry to say that I don't know who this is.**_

The brunette fiddled with her phone for a little bit before setting it down and picking up the remote. It pinged soon after she pressed play for her movie.

_**4198123543:**_

_**It's Quinn. **_

Rachel gasped as her eyebrows widened passed her hairline. How strange, this was the second time today that Quinn had sought her out. It didn't make any sense. Instead of voicing her concerns, she squeezed the device gently before typing out another reply.

_**Rachel:**_

_**Hello Quinn! Did you need something?**_

_**Quinn:**_

_**No. I just wanted to say thank you. and that, uh, you were great today.**_

The brunette chuckled softly at the words, her lips twisting up into a gentle smile at the blondes response.

_**Rachel:**_

_**That's very sweet of you, Quinn. though I don't understand considering all I did was sway in the backround. **_

_**Quinn:**_

_**I just meant you-you made me feel better about singing and that's really cool. You were even nice to Santana, even though she was a major bitch to you. You were just-you were just great today.**_

Rachel bit her bottom lip as her eyes softened.

_**Rachel:**_

_**You're welcome then, Quinn. but there really is no need to thank me. I was only doing what any leader would have done in my situation. **_

_**Quinn:**_

_**If you say so. Well, I have to go to dinner right now. I'll see you Monday, Rachel.**_

_**Rachel: **_

_**Bye, Quinn! have a wonderful weekend and I can't wait to see you Monday. **_

_**Quinn:**_

…_**bye **_

Rachel flipped her phone close as she bit her bottom lip harder.

Maybe everyone didn't hate her after all.

* * *

><p>"When can we tell her?"<p>

"_Soon, _Iblis. Soon."

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: _I don't own Mortal Kombat and I definitely don't own Spring Awakening.**


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N: Thank you for all the author/story/favorite story alerts and reviews. You guys are so awesome and I really appreciate it. : ) changed Q's wardrobe a little from the episode hah…**_

_**Some dialogue taken from A Very Glee Christmas **_

* * *

><p>"Please! Why are you doing this?" Rachel croaked her voice scratchy from the hours of screaming. She yanked at the iron chains pinning her down, tears streaming down her face as she struggled against the bindings.<p>

A chuckle echoed in the room; Wet hands, stained red with blood fondled her face as a rough tongue slid up her cheek. Rachel shuddered uneasily as the Creature gave a menacing smile.

Her eyes slammed shut as pale yellow eyes stared through her body and right into her soul; the Creature dug its nails into her cheek and attempted to force her to watch.

She refused.

The Creature grimaced as it slapped her cheek lightly with its bristly palm. Its sharp nails scratched along her cheek.

"Watch," it gurgled, its voice prickling over her form like a dozen spiders. She shuddered once more; "Watch or we'll defile the Angel!" it yelled right into her ear, shaking her body as it gripped her neck roughly. One eye slid open and stared down at the sight in front of her.

Rachel swallowed down the bile that rose to her throat at the image that would forever be ingrained in her mind.

"Yes! _Yes,_ watch as we devour him from the inside out, leaving him," its foul breath washed over her face, "hollow and empty; empty just like you."

The brunette felt a shiver pass through her body; she bit her lower lip hard to keep from crying out as the Creature nuzzled her neck before sliding its slick tongue along her ear.

"Watch and behold the mess you've made, Child of-"

**xxx**

Rachel jolted straight up, her eyes wide and panicked as she took in her surrounding area in a frazzled manner. Her tense body instantly relaxed; she was in her room and…late for school.

"Shit!" she exclaimed as she scrambled off her bed, getting tangled in her sheets as she tried to free herself from the confines of the light material. She finally managed after her third attempt, stubbing her toe as she fell off her bed and ran into her bathroom, curses falling from her lips as memories of her disturbing dream faded from mind.

* * *

><p>"You're late, babe," Puck whispered in her ear as he cornered her at her locker before wrapping an arm around her waist. Rachel rolled her eyes as she slammed the cool metal shut, pulling out a compact mirror and fixing her unruly hair with a slight pout gracing her features.<p>

"I overslept, Noah. For some reason my alarm didn't go off…" she mumbled as she thought about the strange occurrence from that morning. Her clock had stopped in the middle of the night, paused on 3:00 a.m. which she thought was a little weird but wasn't too worried about it. She would just have to change the batteries when she got home.

Puck smirked as he squeezed her waist, "Yeah? Partied hard this weekend, huh?"

Rachel rolled her eyes once again as she crossed her arms before huffing, "I did no such thing, Noah Puckerman. For your information, I was indisposed all of Saturday and spent most of Sunday recovering. I seem to have caught a cold from one of those germ infused patrons from the competition Friday evening."

The mohawked boy chuckled as he pressed a kiss to her temple before releasing her and reaching into his pocket, "That sucks, babe. Anyways," he pulled out a folded up slip of paper, "Here's that information you asked for Friday. I went to the school library-which I totally didn't know we had-and looked it up,"

Humming in appreciation, the brunette took the slip of paper and opened it up, scanning the words intensely as her eyes brimmed with intrigue. Puck watched her with furrowed brows as something passed over the tiny girls features only to be replaced by a grimace.

He stopped and placed an arm on her shoulder, "What's up, Rach? What did you need that information for anyways?"

Rachel kept her gaze locked with the paper for a few more seconds before glancing up at him with a bright, _fake_ smile, "Oh, I just needed it for a project I'm doing in glee. Please refrain from telling anyone about this," she waved the paper in front of his face before pocketing it in her admittedly short skirt, a skirt Puck fully appreciated.

The mohawked boy leered at her legs that were covered in tight white stockings before his eyes flickered back up to her face. A flash of concern passed through his eyes, "You ok?"

"Yes," Rachel swallowed as she held her books to her chest before adjusting her maroon hat, "If you need me, I'll be in the auditorium," she whispered as she smiled up at him before beginning to walk away.

Puck watched her go with a frown, running a hand over his Mohawk as he called out to her, "Hey! What about Glee?"

She paused, her shoulders sagging before straightening out as she turned her head back towards him and gave him a small smile, "I'm afraid my presence isn't needed for practice today, Noah. I'll see you later."

His frown deepened as his girl strode away; the mohawked boy stuffed his hands in his hoodie pocket and tilted his head as worry flowed through him. Rachel had been acting weird, even weirder than her normal eccentric self ever since she had broken up with Finnpotent. He had seen the way she shook as if her body couldn't get enough heat while simultaneously being hot to the touch. If the deep bags were any indication, Rachel hadn't been getting a lot of sleep either. His girl was falling apart and he wasn't sure there was anything he could do to help her.

Puck ran a hand along her face as a troubling thought pushed to the forefront of his mind, 'And what do demons have to do with Glee anyways?'

* * *

><p>"I've fallen out of favor, and I've fallen from grace, fallen out of trees and I've fallen on my face. Fallen out of taxis and out of windows too. Fell in your opinion when I fell in love with you," Rachel sung softly, her fingers stroking along the cool ivory of the piano pieces as she played, tears stinging the corners of her eyes as her heart thudded painfully.<p>

"Sometimes I wish for falling, wish for the release, wish for falling through the air to give me some relief, because fallings not the problem, when I'm falling I'm at peace, it's only when I hit the ground it causes all the grief."

"Rachel?" a delicate voice broke her from her thoughts; Rachel whipped her head around and her eyes widened when they landed on a frowning blonde. The brunette's dark eyes softened as they took in her ex-rival. Quinn had her arms crossed and was standing not far off from where she was sitting. The blonde was gazing at her with an unreadable expression and scowling uneasily. Rachel bit her lip as her gaze swept over the head cheerleaders form. Quinn was not only wearing her customary cheerleading outfit but also a pair of red and white striped stockings and a soft, green billowy scarf along with her letterman jacket. Rachel thought she looked adorable.

"Hey," she murmured softly, scooting over a bit and patting the piano bench invitingly. Quinn flashed her a small, almost unnoticeable smile before walking over to her. Rachel watched as the blonde looked around nervously before smiling gently, "It's okay, Quinn. No one's here…no one will see you talking to me."

Quinn nibbled on her bottom lip before glancing down at her. The blonde visible deflated as she ran a sweaty hand over her skirt and took a seat next to her. Quinn placed her hand on top of the piano top and sighed, her eyes closing as she inhaled shakily, "It's not that, Berry-

"It's quite alright, Quinn. I never expected our relationship to change just because you sat with me once-

"Goddamnit, Rachel, would you shut up and let me talk."

Rachel's eyebrows rose pass her hairline at the blondes tone, her body recoiling backwards for a second as she frowned at the scowling girl. The brunette chewed on her bottom lip before placing a comforting hand on the older girl's shoulder, "Ok, Quinn. I'm sorry for interrupting."

Her soft tone washed over the blondes frame; Quinn's body un-tensed and the head cheerio exhaled roughly before turning to face her. Hazel orbs connected with puzzled brown ones before looking away.

The blonde nibbled on her lower lip before sighing and closing her eyes, "I just-I, well. Why weren't you in class today?" she demanded, her voice a harsh whisper. Rachel was pretty sure that wasn't what Quinn wanted to ask her but she let it go.

Rachel made a soft noise in the back of her throat before frowning and glancing down at her clenched hands. She sighed as her brow furrowed; "I wasn't feeling well and I'm pretty sure I know all I need to know about irregular verbs."

Quinn laughed lightly at that, nodding in understanding as she re-crossed her arms before smiling timidly at the girl, "But you're feeling better now?"

Chuckling softly, the brunette let a beauteous smile grace her features as she played another note on the piano, "I suppose so, but I'm sure you didn't seek me out to ask me how I'm doing. Did you need something, Quinn?"

A few minutes passed without an answer; Rachel looked up and bit her lip when she took in the blonde's suddenly tense frame. Tilting her head, the brunette opened her mouth to change the subject when Quinn beat her to the punch.

"What song were you playing when I came in?"

Rachel couldn't help the amused smile that twisted her lips; the random change in subject was Quinn Fabray language 101. She was surprised she didn't receive it sooner.

"It's called Falling by Florence and The Machine. It's soothing,"

"Oh," Quinn muttered as she faced her once again, her lips turned up in a small smile, "I love them but I haven't listened to all their songs. That's pretty impressive, the fact that you can play that on the piano."

The brunette flushed at the compliment, growing uncharacteristically shy as she beamed at the other girl, "Would you like me to show how to play?"

Quinn's brows scrunched up in concentration for a second and Rachel was sure that she was going to refuse but before she could negate her line of questioning, the blonde smiled brightly and nodded, "Sure."

Rachel giggled, happiness flowing through her as she took the blondes left hand and placed one of her fingers on top of the keys, "Okay, here's what you do…"

* * *

><p>Rachel hummed merrily along with the rest of the New Directions, placing the pretty ornaments on the decrepit tree with a content smile on her face. After her hour long lesson with Quinn, which went way smoother than she had anticipated, the blonde convinced her to come to glee with her so that they could decorate the tree Finn had found abandoned on the side of the road. At first, Rachel was rightfully hesitant. After all, she really didn't want to see Finn and besides, she was <em>Jewish.<em> Even though one of her daddies was Christian, she didn't feel like celebrating this holiday with her fellow glee members when all of them refused to acknowledge her Jewish faith. They didn't even ask if she had anything she wanted to bring to the meeting to celebrate her religion.

Jerks.

But after a soft pestering from Quinn, Rachel reluctantly agreed to accompany her and followed the blonde out of the auditorium and into the choir room.

The brunette couldn't help but smile when she Quinn and Sam sing together, 'They really are cute together,' Rachel thought to herself, a frown passing over her visage only to disappear a second later as she turned back towards the tree. She ran her fingers along the soft bristles and focused on placing a snowflake ornament on one of the branches.

"Hey , guys. What's this?" Brown eyes flickered over to their instructor. Rachel let a cautious smile twist up on her lips. She was still a bit uneasy when it came to Mr. Schue after his blow up at her a week ago, but she figured that as long as she steadily avoided him, it wasn't a big deal.

Finn, always the 'leader' answered for all of them; "Oh, we're trying to get into the Christmas spirit, Mr. Schue! Christmas is totally my favorite holiday," Crossing her arms as if to protect herself, Rachel glanced over at Finn and gave the boy a diminutive smile. He wasn't so bad when he wasn't annoying and or threatening her, "I found it on the side of the road. It must have fell off some guy's car."

Will gave a half smile, his eyes lit up in disbelief, "And the ornaments?"

Santana answered with a snarky grin; "The guy who lives next door finally killed off his eldery mother," Rachel turned her gaze towards the Latina, unsure whether or not she was serious or just joking before shaking her head and letting it go, "When they carted him off, they left the house wide open. I think she was a holiday hoarder."

"Uh-And the presents?"

"I lifted them from a display at the mall, but don't worry. They're empty," Rachel's lips pinched up in a grimace as she stared disapprovingly at the mohawked boy. She really needed to talk to him about his criminal ways.

"Guys, I appreciate the effort but this isn't what Christmas is supposed to be like,"

"For us it is. This tree is like a mascot for the Glee Club. We won sectionals two years in a row and according to everyone at this school, we still suck."

Rachel canted her head to the side and nodded, agreeing wholeheartedly with what Mercedes was saying. She had seen Mercedes, Mike and Tina get slushied this morning; they must have taken a page out of her book and brought an extra change of clothes.

"No, no I'm not going to let you guys throw yourself a pity party. Look, I'm the first one to say that things haven't turned out exactly how I would have liked them to this year but Christmas is about being grateful for the things that did."

"I thought that was thanksgiving…" Puck mumbled under his breath. Mr. Schue must not have heard him because he kept rambling on about togetherness and forgiveness and whatever. She tuned out under the words, "Caroling." And "class room to class room," flowed through her ears.

Her lips pursed as she shook her head but kept her mouth shut. There was no way to talk Mr. Schuester out of this so there was no point in wasting her breath.

"So let's start rehearsing! Cause this year, Glee Club is going full Santa."

Rachel could only hope they'd make it out alive.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: lyrics taken from Falling by Florence and the Machine. **_


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N: Yeah, sorry for the wait guys. I was out of town for a couple of days just got back today. Um…uh…right, un-beta'd. Some dialogue taken from a very glee Christmas and from Silly Love Songs. **_

**xxx**

I'm _not _a hero! I'm just a girl! A normal teenage girl!"

"No, you are _wrong._ You are much more than that. You are special; Our Savior."

"I never wanted this! I didn't choose this, Lunis!"

"Hero's never choose their destinies, Rachel. Their destinies choose them."

**xxx**

It was a disaster. A complete and utter disaster. They had not only been booed out of the room-_which wasn't surprising-_, but she once again had a bruise in the shape of a shoe print on her arm. She couldn't believe she forgot about that considering the fact that it _hurt _so badly the first time.

Rachel huffed as she yanked her sweater off, glaring at the door out of the corner of her eye. Mr. Schuester conveniently left out the fact that he would not be caroling-_torturing unsuspecting students-_with them and left them to bear the grunt of their fellow students' anger. This was all _his_ fault.

"I _still_ can't believe that that teacher let those students speak to us like that."

The brunette heard someone exhale a little ways away from her and a sweet melodic voice tinged with annoyance filled the air; "What did you expect, Rachel? We're still losers to everyone in this school."

Frowning at Quinn's words, Rachel pursed her lips before walking over to Puck and sitting next to him. She crossed her arms as she leaned into him; "I can't believe she threw her shoe at me."

Noah smiled in sympathy before wrapping an arm around her shoulders and rubbing them gently as he leaned down to whisper in her ear, "I'll take you out to get some hot chocolate later, ok babe?"

Rachel's frown evaporated as she beamed up at him, eyes sparkling with joy; "Thank you, Noah."

"Guys, we can't let what just happened ruin our Christmas spirit. Mr. Schue got us this beautiful tree to inspire us. We're gonna practice now and gear up for round two tomorrow."

Sam narrowed his eyes at the hulking boy as he placed a hand on his girlfriends waist, gently guiding her away from the tree and from Finn in case what he said invoked a physical reaction from the dimwitted boy. He didn't want his girl to get hurt.

He glared at Finn; "Dude, what makes you in charge of what we do?"

Finn scowled as he crossed his arms; "I'm the team captain, _dude._ That's what makes me in charge and c'mon, I'm only trying to do what's right for the team."

"Technically speaking, you're the _co-_captain, Finn." Quinn spoke up, subtly shaking loose her boyfriends hand so that she could continue placing ornaments on the tree, "Besides, when is the last time you've done something _captainly_. You literally just sit there and let Berry do all the work. Why do you get to invoke captain rights without taking responsibilities for your other duties?" She finished, barely sparing the red-faced boy a glance.

The spiky haired young man clenched his fist in his crossed arms and jutted his lip out, "H-hey, I take care of this team, Quinn. At least I'm not part of something that's constantly trying to sabotage the Glee club like Coach Sylvester is. I care more about this team than you do!"

"Don't talk to my girlfriend like that man-"

"_Don't _talk to Quinn like that, Finn Hudson!" Everyone was startled in silence when Rachel's voice boomed throughout the choir room. They all turned to face her with equal expressions of shock and surprise, none of them expecting to hear the little diva defend Quinn of all people from her beloved Finn.

Rachel flushed red but stood her ground as she glared at her ex-boyfriend with her arms crossed even more tightly against her chest. Her eyes brimmed with anger and disbelief; "Quinn has done more for us than _you_ ever have, Finn and _I _would know. And don't you _dare_ try and refute me on that. We both know just how 'captainly' you've been over the past year and a half."

Finn grunted but stayed quiet as the other glee clubbers mumbled in agreement. Smiling in triumph, the brunette turned her head slightly to grin at them when she froze. Hazel eyes were peering at her in fierce appreciation; she felt lightheaded, and a little bit faint. Quinn had never looked at her like that before. It was _amazing._

"Besides, no one will bully us. Santa Claus can do anything and this year I asked the Glee club to stop being picked on."

Rachel smiled blithely as she watched the tall blonde place presents on top the piano. Last year, she found Brittany's ignorance to be completely annoying. But knowing the troubles soon to come for the statuesque cheerleader, the brunette couldn't help but consider her innocence endearing now. She hoped she would be able to keep it this time around.

"She's kidding right?"

"Guys, this is serious. Listen up."

Wringing her hands out in front of her, Rachel furrowed her brow before walking away from the assembled group and towards the naive blonde. She tapped the girl on the arm and beamed up at her, rocking back on the soles of her flats as the other girl turned and faced her.

Brittany raised an eyebrow in surprise as she gave Rachel a wide smile before turning back towards her work; "What are you asking Santa for this year, Rachel?" she asked, her tone playful and exuberant.

Rachel giggled as she took a step closer to the joyful girl, her eyes sparkling with mirth as she smirked conspiratorially, "I already got my wish fulfilled, Brittany. But I have a feeling that there are more presents still to come."

xxx

"Do you want to go out tonight, Quinn…Quinn?"

Quinn tore her eyes away from Brittany and Rachel and up towards her boyfriend, ignorant to the dark frown marring her delicate features, "Hm?"

Sam shook his head and gave his girl a little half-smile as his eyes flickered towards the giggling duo and back at Quinn, "I asked if you want to go out tonight? Mentally prepare ourselves for the fun that will be sitting on Santa's lap tomorrow."

The blonde girl's frown dimmed just a bit as she forced a small smile onto her face. She probably should spend _some_ time with the taller blonde. After all, he _was_ her boyfriend; "Ok, sure. What tim-

"Hello, Samuel. I'm sorry to interrupt your conversation, but I was wondering if I could speak to Quinn for a moment?"

Sam raised an eyebrow as Quinn whipped her head towards the shorter girl. He smiled compassionately as confusion mixed with joy passed over his girlfriend's features only to be replaced by her trademark scowl. He'd have to remember to ask her about that later.

Squeezing Quinn's waist, he placed a light kiss to her temple before turning to face Rachel; "That's up to Quinn, Rach. I do have to get to class now though, so I'll pick you up around six tonight, Quinn." He nodded towards the brunette as he untangled himself from his girlfriend and walked away.

They both watched him go with differing expressions, one of intrigue and the other of panic.

Quinn felt anxiety well up inside her. Why was Rachel asking to speak to her? The brunette _never_ showed any real interest in talking to her. It had been all Quinn; she was the one reaching out, albeit in her own tiny way, to the other girl. M-maybe Rachel was there to tell her to stop. After all, she had already spent an inordinate amount of time with the little songbird and maybe Rachel was sick of her coming along and bothering her.

That thought made her feel un-expectantly nauseous.

Scowl deepening to hide her unease, the blonde crossed her arms defensibly as she glowered down at the younger girl, "What do you want?"

Rachel faltered at the harsh words, nervousness flickering through her eyes as she bit her lip and crossed her arms behind her back. She ducked her head and chewed on her lip, fighting through the fear before glancing back up at Quinn determinedly.

"I was just wondering if you'd like to make what happened this afternoon a regular thing. We could meet up every other day and I could teach you how to play the piano."

Hazel orbs widened in astonishment; Quinn _certainly_ hadn't been expecting that. The blonde fumbled as her high level vocabulary flew out the window, "I, uh, well, um, I-"

The brunette tilted her head to the side as red creeped up the blondes neck towards her face. Her brows furrowed as she tentatively placed a hand on the hyperventilating cheerleader; "Breathe, Quinn," she murmured soothingly, rubbing soft circles into the other girls arm until her breathing evened out.

Quinn inhaled deeply in and out before she mentally shook her head, mortification flowing through her as she thought about how she freaked out over a simple question. What the _hell_ was wrong with her? It's just Berry.

"Quinn?"

Blinking at the sound of her name, Quinn pursed her lips as she uncrossed her arms and stuffed her hands into her jacket pockets. Her head ducked as she mumbled, "Yeah, sure," in a low voice.

Rachel's answering smile was shocking in its beauty. The little songbird looked absolutely exhilarated at the thought of spending time with her. With _her._ Quinn Fabray.

She almost couldn't believe it and Quinn couldn't help but feel a little happy at that. No one ever looked that excited to spend time with her. Even her so called best friends, past and current boyfriend. Rachel always did have a way of making her feel special.

"Wonderful! Let's say, tomorrow during lunch? Oh wait, you'll probably want to sit with your cheerio friends-how about-"

"Rachel," The brunette eyes widened at how her name sounded coming from that sweet voice. Quinn had whispered her name reverently, her voice tingeing with amused affection, gentle and melodic humor. She never heard Quinn take on that tone of voice when addressing her.

It shocked and thrilled her to no end.

The blonde seemed to only then become aware of how gently she spoke her name. Quinn cleared her throat and started again, her tone light and friendly with a hint of dismissive urging, "Lunch time is fine. I'll see you then, ok? Ok, bye."

Quinn didn't wait to see what her response was. She just left.

And Rachel couldn't stop the grin that spread out on her face even if she tried.

* * *

><p>Rachel adjusted her bright red hat before tugging her navy blue dress down as she pulled out her cell phone from her purse. She sighed flippantly as wrapped her arms around herself and glanced around the room. Finn had cornered her yesterday after Quinn left and practically begged for her to meet up with him before school started today.<p>

The brunette had reluctantly complied, but only because she felt like it would be good for the team if she and Finn got passed their animosity towards each other-_or in her case, her striving case of indifference-_and learn to work together so that the New Directions would have one less thing to worry about.

Five minutes passed and there was still no sign of her ex. Rachel huffed while adorning Quinn's trademark scowl. What kind of person asked someone else to hang out and then showed up late? Ridiculous.

Her phone tinged, and she couldn't help but roll her eyes.

'I swear, if that's Finn telling me he can't make it…' her mind didn't finish the thought as she flipped it open before a wide beam broke out onto her face when she read the screen.

_**2 New Messages **_

_**1**__**st**__** message**_

_**Noah: **_

_**Hey babe, I had a lot of fun last night. We should definitely do that again sometime, except with less clothing. ;)**_

Rachel giggled before typing out a simple reply and hitting send: _**Rachel:**_ _**No :), hehe see you in Glee Noah3**_

Her smile morphed into a beam as her grip tightened on her cell, staring at the device in her hands before opening the next message and reading the contents of it.

_**2**__**nd**__** Message **_

_**Quinn:**_

_**Uh, do you want to meet at the beginning of lunch or the middle?**_

_**Rachel:**_

_**Whichever is fine with me, Quinn! As long as you're prompt and arrive on time, it doesn't matter to me. **_

"Hey, Rach."

Rachel's head snapped up at the sound of her name, her bright smile shifting and dimming until her face was a mask of politeness. She held her phone to her chest as Finn ambled up the stairway and walked towards her with a small, dopey smile playing on his lips.

Something slithered up her chest, something she couldn't explain. But it felt ugly, and deep, not to mention powerful.

It made her feel-

Her phone buzzed against her chest, the vibrations drowned out by the sound of Finn's mediocre voice breaking the tense silence that had encompassed the surrounding area.

"So, hey, thanks for meeting up with me. I, uh, I'm glad." He said, smiling at her much like he use to. Like she was the only thing in the entire world and he couldn't possibly live without her.

Brown orbs slit at that thought. She still can't believe how easily she fell for his lies.

Finn fingered the bottom of his loose green and blue hoodie before taking another step towards her until he was looming over her. Discomfort was too weak of a word to describe what she was feeling with him hovering over her.

Still, she refused to say anything, just continued to stare up at him with darkened brown irises and crossed arms.

He visibly swallowed before saying something completely un-expected. Totally took her off guard. Really it did.

Finn pulled out a lightweight rectangular box covered in green wrapping paper, holding it out to the girl like a dimpled smile.

Rachel could only stare at the familiar box with a raised eyebrow before flickering her gaze back up towards Finn. She knew what was in it and she was only now aware of just how well Finn Hudson manipulated her last year…this year.

Whatever.

Anger pursed through her veins; he was aware of _everything_ he was doing to her. Giving her a present when they were broken up so that she wouldn't move on. Stringing her along, talking to her in that soft, gentle manner like she was still his world when in reality he was fucking Quinn Fabray in secret. Giving her that bullshit speech about her being a star only to come back a few months later claiming to love her, effectively tying her to him, _anchoring_ to him when he became bored with Quinn.

God, he played her so well. She bit her bottom lip hard as red hazed her vision.

"I, uh, I ordered this for you for Christmas before we broke up. J-just open it."

The brunette shook her head as she scoffed, her curled locks flowing in the air as she openly glared up at him; "I _know _what you're trying to do and it's not going to work."

Rachel registered the surprise that appeared in his eyes with a dim smile. She almost scoffed again; His _arrogance _was _disgusting_. Did he _really _think she would come running back to him just because he got her a cheap present?

_Well, it wouldn't be the first time you've forgiven Finn Hudson after her utterly wronged you. Can't really blame him for thinking that. _

She frowned as she pushed that thought to the darkest recesses of her brain because she wasn't _that_ Rachel anymore. She was different. Stronger, and she wouldn't let Finn Hudson take advantage of her.

Rachel cut the boy off before he could speak; "No, _no._ You do not get to come in here acting like you care about me after _lying_ to me for months!"

"C'mon, Rachel. Not letting me apologize isn't fair."

Brown orbs rolled in disbelief as the shorter girl took a step back from her lumbering ex, "I've let you apologize plenty. I know that Christmas is supposed to be about forgiveness but…I'm not ready to forgive you, so please, stop trying to make me."

Finn's face screwed up into a ugly expression as his fist clenched and he slung the present down onto the floor, "This isn't _fair!_ Why are you _doing_ this to me! We're supposed to be together, Rachel!" he half whined, half yelled, grabbing a hold of her arm and yanking her into him.

Her phone clamored to the phone as she let out a wail, pure fear welling up into her heart as he tightened his hold on her arms, and attempted to force his lips onto hers.

Rachel cried out as she half-raised her arms, pressing them hard into his chest as her eyes screwed shut. She knew it would probably be fruitless, but she couldn't _not _fight. She was done playing the victim.

So she pushed, she pushed with all her might and she prayed that someone, _anyone_ would be able to hear her cries.

* * *

><p>"Kurt?"<p>

"_Sam_?"

The blonde boy gave a charming smile as he jogged over to his former friend, waving like an idiot before he stopped in front of the other boy, "Hey, man! What are you doing out here?"

Sam watched as Kurt bit his pretty-uh, his-his guy lips and give him a semi-smile, swinging his arms out in front of himself as he turned to face him, "Hi, Sam. I'm just waiting for m-my friend Blaine to get here. We're meeting up for coffee and he's running late from his rehearsal in the Kings Island Christmas Spectacular."

The blonde faltered for a second, his smile disappearing as confusion entered his eyes only to have his beam return full force. He ran a hand through his golden locks and cheesed at the stylish boy, "Oh, that's cool, I guess. How, uh, how have you been doing, man?"

Kurt's gaze fell as he shrugged, prickling the bottom of his uniform with a finger as he removed an imaginary piece of lint before sighing, "The classes are harder but the kids are kinder. But, I miss you guys a lot though. What brings you here, anyways?"

Sam continued to smile as he stood behind Kurt in the coffee line, "Oh, just skipping 4th so I can pick up a iced coffee for Quinn. She's craving it, and since she's going to be busy with Rachel during lunch, this is the only chance she'll have to get it and she doesn't want to wait until after school."

The coiffed boys eyebrows raised in surprise; "Quinn and _Rachel?_ Are you sure you're talking about the same people cause from what I remember is that Quinn couldn't stand our resident diva."

Shrugging indifferently, Sam stuffed a hand into his pocket before bringing out his wallet and checking the contents of the slick leather, "Rachel broke up with Finn, and your bro has been acting a bit too handsy with her, so me, Puck and Quinn have been watching out for her. Don't tell Quinn I said this though, but I'm really starting to think she likes her, which is cool cause Rachel is nice-

"Wait, what do you mean Finn is getting "hand-sy?" Kurt asked incredulously, his eyes wide with doubt.

Sam exhaled before glancing back up at his friend, a sad smile on his face as his hair fell into his eyes. He blew it away; "Finn's been acting out, man. He looked like he was three seconds away from taking a swing at Rachel that last time she tried talking some sense into him."

"We are talking about Finn Hudson right? _Finn, _Finn? My brother Finn?"

Licking his lips, the blonde tilted his head as he reluctantly nodded, "Yeah. Things have changed, Kurt."

Kurt's brow puckered as he turned back towards the barista, rattling off his order dismissively before looking at Sam, "Then you need to tell me what's going on because that's not Finn. Finn can be judgmental and hurtful, but he'd never actually _hit_ a girl."

"I don't know man. Their breakup…it did something to him."

xxx

Rachel un-expectantly collapsed onto the floor, her knees slamming against the hard wood as her scream froze in her throat.

There was a deep, unnerving silence that still somehow managed to echo around her, swallowing her up and leaving her un-whole.

Her arms throbbed, the hand sized bruises already appearing and yet she made no move to check them. She kept her eyes tightly shut, waiting for another assault on her body.

Relief hit her square in the chest when nothing came.

Brown orbs blinked open, hesitantly glancing in front of her and around her for the Offender only to find that she was completely and utterly alone.

And that's when she noticed her hands, still outstretched in front of her were burning. A white, hot heat pulsing beneath her fingertips.

She pulled her hands back in a panic and stared down at them before letting out a blood curling scream when slit red and gold irises stared back up at her.

A Red and Gold eye situated on each palm of both of her hands.

**xxx**

"Well, yes. That poisonous lump of cancer she called a boyfriend was the one stunting her potential."

"Hm, perhaps we should thank Eblis. He _is _the one who convinced her to get rid of that waste of a meat suit after all."

"_Thank_ that Serpent Goat? You _can't_ be serious, Lunisel. We _don't_ associate with creatures of _Sin_, remember?"

"…right."

"Come now, Lunisel. It is time to check on the other one."

**xxx**

_**A/N:Iblis/Eblis are the same person. There are many variations to his name, and they are going to pop up from time to time in the story. He will officially be known by another one of his names when he comes into contact with Rachel again. **_


	6. Chapter 6

_**A/N: ok alot of you are confused and that's totally my fault. Part of the conversation between the two beings at the_**_**end of chapter 5 got cut off. Their names are Samael and Lunisel and they're angels and they're discussing Rachel's growing powers.**_**_**_

_**The_**sequences at the beginning of past chapters are dreams, memories and future events to come. They're flittering in and out of Rachel's brain and she's not really concious of them just yet. She's not ready.**_**_

_**That being said, I hope you guys semi-enjoy this chapter and I'm sorry for the wait. Family issues. Please R&R**_

_**Love-3**_

_**reuploading cause the chap wasnt appearing)**_

**xxx**

Time slowed down as Rachel screams reverberated across the open space in the auditorium until the sound was frozen in mid air.

A swoosh of wings fluttered in the atmosphere and a black figure dropped down onto the wood panels of the stage.

Inches away, Rachel sat immobilized, staring down at her open palms with a stilled look of terror. Her body suspended, frozen in time.

It was soundless, inaudible.

Pure quiet.

Vivid, distorted black demonic wings twitched and stretched in the air; Iblis cracked his neck as wings twisted before contracting until they were folded down onto his back.

A dismal sigh escaped his lips; He adjusted his tie as he peered down at the frozen girl with black eyes before shaking his head; "Dear child, what am I'm going to do with you…" he mumbled as he wiped the dust off his black suit before kneeling down.

He took her open palm and gazed at the immobilized Red eye staring back up at him with a smile before turning his attention to the other one. Iblis frowned before lifting the girls palm and placing a kiss right on the orb.

Both eyes closed before fading away, leaving Rachel's palms smooth and unblemished once more.

Relatively happy with his success, Iblis stuffed his left hand in his pocket as he stood, smoothing out his red tie with his right before clearing his throat. A smile suddenly twisted onto his face as he choked out a startled laugh.

His laughter echoed in the still space before dissipating into little chuckles. Iblis stared down at Rachel with an unmistakable sneer, "My lord, are you powerful," he whispered almost reverently, leaning down once more to pat the girl on the head.

"Really, those angels are no help," Iblis murmured before kissing Rachel's neck. A intricate design appeared on the tanned skin before receding into the flesh and disappearing all together.

Iblis smirked against the Rachel's neck before pulling away, "There, that should keep her from accessing her powers before she's ready."

He smoothed her hair away before pressing his index finger against her forehead; "Time for a re-do," he murmured as a jolt of energy rushed through his hand and into his finger.

He pushed.

And Rachel was once again jolted through the space time continuum.

**xxx**

_5 minutes earlier_

Rachel cut the boy off before he could speak; "No, no. You do not get to come in here acting like you care about me after lying to me for months!"

"C'mon, Rachel. Not letting me apologize isn't fair."

Brown orbs rolled in disbelief as the shorter girl took a step back from her lumbering ex, "I've let you apologize plenty. I know that Christmas is supposed to be about forgiveness but…I'm not ready to forgive you, so please, stop trying to make me."

Finn's face screwed up into a ugly expression as his fist clenched and he slung the present down onto the floor, "This isn't fair! Why are you doing this to me! We're supposed to be together, Rachel!" he half whined, half yelled, grabbing a hold of her arm and yanking her into him.

Her phone clamored to the phone as she let out a wail, pure fear welling up into her heart as he tightened his hold on her arms, and attempted to force his lips onto hers.

"Hey! What the hell are you doing?"

Rachel whimpered, her eyes widening in relief as she turned her head towards their seething teammate. Finn unceremoniously dropped the brunette on her ass before backing away just a bit.

The spiky haired boy crossed his arms as he sneered with that unmistakable air of haughtiness surrounding him; "Mind your own business, Santana. Me and Rach are talking."

Santana snarled as she stomped up the stage steps towards them, her expression positively raging, "That didn't look like _talking,_ Finnessa. Cause from my point of view, it looked like you were sexually assaulting the hobbit."

Finn lips mashed together as he rolled his eyes, throwing his arms up in the air with a shake of his head and a scoff, "Whatever, go away so me and Rach can finish our talk."

"Oh, you've got to be kidding-there is no way I'm leaving after I just caught you trying to rape Frodo with your mouth."

Light brown orbs narrowed in contempt; "Since when did you care about Rachel?"

Rachel sat shivering on the floor, arms crossed tightly around herself as tears pricked the corners of her eyes. She tuned out their conversation and focused on trying to keep herself together. Who knows what would have happened if Santana hadn't appeared just then.

Finn would've…he would've…

"Get the hell out of here Quasimodo before I kick your ass."

"Ugh, whatever, I don't need this shit. Come find me when you're through hanging out with dyke-tana. Remember not to stand too close or you might catch the gay." Finn sneered as he walked past the cheerio, muttering curses under his breath while shaking his head.

Santana crossed her arms as she watched him go, her burnt cocoa orbs narrowed in slits and her lips curled into a snarl.

"Still can't believe I slept with that douchebag," she mumbled before turning her attention back to the quivering girl in front of her. Santana sighed before dropping her arms and walking towards to the crying brunette.

She stopped a few steps away from her as her face scrunched up in concentration. Santana's eyes softened as she huffed before shrugging off her letterman jacket and kneeling in front of Rachel. She tentatively draped the coat around the brunette's shoulders and pulled it tightly around her.

Rachel watched her with big, teary brown eyes, confusion eclipsing all other emotions coursing through her body. What was Santana doing? She licked her lips before opening her mouth to speak only to be cut off a second later.

"Look, don't thank me, okay?" Santan begin softly, but firmly, "I hate you but I'm not heartless enough to let some bastard take advantage of a girl. Even if that girl is you, Berry. Also, you look like you're about five seconds from breaking down and you haven't stopped shivering since lardass threw you onto the floor, so just take the jacket and dear God,stop fucking cry-

"Thank you," Rachel blubbered out, wrapping her arms around the coat and pulling it closer to herself before placing a trembling hand on-top of the other girls. She peered imploringly into Santana's eyes, "Thank you, Santana."

Santana discharged a breath as she rocked back on her knees before shakily standing and crossing her arms once more, "Whatever, Rumpelstiltskin," she muttered without malice, "This doesn't mean we're friends, alright?"

The young ingénue wiped at her eyes as she sniffled before smiling up at the defensive girl; "I know, Santana. That doesn't mean I'm not grateful for what you did. Who knows what would have happened if you hadn't of walked by…"

"Don't mention it, Frodo. Seriously."

* * *

><p>"Hey, what took you so long?" Quinn inquired as Sam jogged up to her, before coming to a full stop in front of her. The gorgeous boy grinned as he flipped his golden mane out of his eyes before handing her her latte. Sam smiled as he wrapped an arm around her waist and pressed a fleeting kiss to her head.<p>

"Sorry babe, I ran into Kurt."

A surprised, yet pleased smile emerged on Quinn's face. The head cheerio took a sip of her coffee as she leaned back and peered up at her boyfriend with a twinkle in her eye, "Really? How's he doing?"

Sam pulled away to beam down at his girl, his pretty green eyes sparkling with joy as his nose crinkled up adorably, "He's awesome! He's really enjoying Dalton babe."

Quinn chuckled genuinely as she squeezed his bicep affectionately, "Good. He deserves it."

The football player hummed in agreement before leaning down to give the light haired girl a kiss only to pause when he heard her expel a worried breath.

He pulled back and stared down at her with a quirked eyebrow, "Babe…?" he muttered before turning his head towards where she was staring. Rachel was standing at her locker, fumbling with the lock while attempting to pull the compartment open. She appeared to be explicitly distressed and from what he could see, her complexion was stricken.

"Rachel…?" Sam heard Quinn murmur under her breath, her voice soft and tinged with worry. Sam frowned acutely, puzzlement filling his gaze as he stared at his girlfriend's. He has never seen that expression on Quinn before.

Suddenly, he felt as if he was impeding on an intimate moment. Like he was witnessing something strangely intimate, not for anyone else's eyes.

_'How strange indeed'_

Sam awkwardly coughed, immediately gaining the other blonde's attention and smiling inwardly as she peered up at him with flushed cheeks and misty eyes. A dazzling smile appeared on his face, "Why don't you go see what's wrong with Rachel, Q?"

The blonde girl's face screwed up, her hazel eyes widened in evident confusion "But-

He squeezed her gently before untangling his body from hers, "I'll see you in class, ok? She looks like she could really use a friend."

Sam pecked Quinn's lips with relative ease before striding away, his mind consumed with the unintentional information unveiled right before his eyes.

* * *

><p>Rachel was absolutely wrecked. Her body was fraught with nerves and she hadn't stopped shaking since she stumbled her way out of the auditorium. She made a quick stop to the rest room, expelled any and all food from her stomach into the toilet bowl until she was sure there was nothing left. It was safe to say that she was as incontestably empty as the man-in-black's eyes.<p>

It was dismaying.

After extensively brushing her teeth, she staggered out of the bathroom, her mind ablaze with insecurity and fear; she had no idea how she managed to arrive at her locker unnoticed.

Her fingers trembled as she fumbled with the lock, whispery bronzed orbs hued in sadness as her breath came in short puffs of air.

She finally heard the click of the locking mechanism letting up; she breathed a sigh of fringed relief as she reached into the compartment and grasped her advance algebra text book.

Rachel pulled it out as she pushed the locker shut, resting her forehead against cool metal before sighing once more and wrapping her arms around the book.

Gathering her bearings, Rachel lifted her head as she pushed a stray lock behind her ear and spun around. Her eyes widened comically when she nearly collided with a black, white and red wall.

"Woah, Berry, steady there," Quinn muttered half-jokingly as she placed a steadying hand on the brunette's shoulder, her eyes dripping of concern and barely hidden affection.

It was like magic. Suddenly, all her fears and anxiety melted away leaving her empty. But in a completely different sense. Her fear had drained away, her body devoid of all emotion before an airy lightness filled her heart.

Her tears fell unchecked at this point; her textbook dropped to the floor as she covered her face with both hands and sobbed openly.

Rachel heard the other girls breath catch in her throat. Her thoughts, clear as day, rang out through her mind.

'Now she'll think I'm a freak again. Crying quite literally out of the blue. She'll surely leave now and once again I'll be alone.'

This thought only made her sob harder.

She gasped, however, when a strong arm encircled her waist and a starkly feminine front was pressed against her unimpressive one.

Rachel melted into Quinn Fabray and once again dissolved into a fit of helpless sobs and tears.

* * *

><p>Quinn ignored the gaping students as she pulled Rachel Berry into her. The head cheerio shot every on-looker an impressive glare as she held the shorter girl to like her life depended on it.<p>

Rubbing her back, Quinn set her cheek on top of the girl's head and said nothing. She held her drink out away from her as Rachel shuddered and quaked against her.

The little songbirds sobs dissipated in a few minutes time and Quinn took that as her cue to pull away and peer down at the still sniffing girl in front of her.

Rachel's head was inclined away from her, her cheeks were tear stained, a rosy nose tinted red and Quinn never though the girl looked as beautiful as she did now.

Huh. Weird.

Quinn stared down at her with what she hoped were caring eyes as she reached her free hand up to clasp the young ingénue's shoulder.

"Rach," she started gently, her tone beseeching and heartfelt. She supposes that's the only reason the little songbird even glanced her way.

Her smile was tender; "Let's go to the choir room, ok? No one will be there."

Quinn positively beamed when the girl looked up at her fully before hesitantly nodding. The blonde clasped their hands together and squeezed Rachel's fingers protectively.

* * *

><p>Rachel and Quinn sat together on the top step of the risers; their knees were subtly touching and their fingers were interlaced, hands resting on the younger's lap.<p>

They had been in the room for nearly five minutes and neither of them have said anything. Rachel's tears were almost non-existent now and the only sound between them was the tick of the wall clock and the dull chatter of students in the hallway.

Quinn played with the lapels of her skirt nervously, unsure of how to show the other girl concern without appearing emotionally vulnerable.

It was a hard task to accomplish.

Therefore, what was the point?

She inclined her head towards the brunette as she rummaged through her cheerleading bag before pulling out a bag of sliced apples. Quinn snapped open the ziplock bag with her free hand and pulled out the sliced sweet goodness.

Rachel watched her with a blithe smile; Quinn popped one apple slice into her mouth as she held the bag out to the other girl.

"Ant wan?"

Giggling at the muffled question, Rachel smiled shyly as she reached into the bag and pulled out the smallest piece.

"Thank you, Quinn."

Quinn smiled with her eyes as she swallowed the diced fruit before beaming with her lips; "They're honeycrisp."

The brunette bit her bottom lip as a light pink dusked her cheeks; She thought it once before, and now she thought it once again. Quinn was adorable.

"Is that a good thing?" Rachel played along, her voice tinged with masked affection. Quinn gave an answering smile.

"The best," she murmured as she squeezed her friends-Gosh, Rachel Berry was her friend, wasn't she?-hand.

"Try it," she gently coaxed, urging the brunette to take a bite of the fruity deliciousness.

Rachel complied; "Mm..." her eyelid fluttered as she moaned exaggeratedly. Chestnut orbs popped back open a second later, "Yummy."

Quinn smiled once more, running her thumb along the backs of Rachel's hand as she stared into the brunette's eyes.

"You don't have to tell me what's wrong," she started, startlingly pleased to have the brunette's full attention, "And I know you have no real reason to trust me. But I'm here-" she gestured lightly around herself, "If you need to talk. Or if you need a distraction. I'm good at that."

The brunette swallowed the rest of her apple slice as she glanced down towards the ground. She shakily picked at the edges of her dress, "Promise you won't make fun of me?"

A halting question; Quinn's heart broke just a little as self-loathing welled up inside her armor encased heart.

"Friends don't make fun of friends...well, some friends do, like S, but-" Quinn fumbled, her cheeks shaded in red as Rachel broke out into a fit of small giggles.

Quinn half-heartedly glared; "You making fun of me?"

Rachel gazed at her with bright eyes, "No, of course not. Friend's don't make fun of friends, Quinn."

Lips twitching up into a smile, the blonde ducked her head as she re-lifted the bag of sliced apples and held it out towards Rachel, "Want some more?"

"Gladly."

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN2: In case anyone is wondering, Iblis stopped time at the beginning of the chapter, and pushed Rachel back five minutes into the past because He is not ready for her to acknowledge her powers. Iblis also made sure that someone walked in on Finn and Rachel so that her powers didnt activate because yes, in a way, she did kill him but he wasn't really dead (will go further into detail about that later!) Anyways, I hope I cleared some confusion up.**_

_**I have a pretty hectic week ahead but I'll try writing a bit each day! Ok bye. and sorry for the short chapter D:**_


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